Brave Until Fear
by Dalek Deb
Summary: Gray and Natsu have been the top mages since the Grand Magic Games. With so many mission requests asking for the two of them, how could they refuse? When a certain mission turns for worse, they soon learn that fear has always been waiting around the corner to drag them down to the depths of hell. Warning: gore/violent torture, rape, yaoi, Gratsu. Please enjoy and R&R!
1. The Mission You Take

_This will be my 'Come back' story. I haven't been active on my fanfiction writing for years now. Though I'm happy that I have gotten a huge __inspiration lately and I'll be sure to update frequently. My life outside of this is fairly busy, so if I'm late on an update, please be patient with me._

**Disclaimer**: I have no ownership over Fairy Tail and it's beautiful characters. It's Hiro Mashima's!

**Warning**: This story is not for the faint hearted. I will posting warnings on every chapter and what it may contain so if you have to skip a chapter, that'll be fine.

Please enjoy! R&amp;R greatly welcomed! It'll help me write more.

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**The Mission You Take**

"Could you guys knock it off already? You're giving me a headache!"

It was a typical day at the guild. The elder wizards were laughing with one another and enjoying their beers. Others ate lunch before heading off to a mission. Some took the day off to relax and enjoy company. Not to forget the most popular rivalry fight between a dragon slayer and an ice mage. Today, their fight was no different than any normal day.

Lucy sat at one of the closest tables to their fight. She didn't know why she always seemed to be near them when they broke out like this, but today, she just about had enough. As the two clashed fists into faces and the non-stop name-calling seemed to never end, she stood up with both of her hands slammed against the tabletop.

"Seriously! Shut up!"

That's when the two mages stopped to look at their blonde companion. Their faces were in a state of shock. Both couldn't comprehend what just had happened. Though, right in that moment of silence, a certain scarlet haired women appeared right behind Lucy without her noticing. Natsu was the first one to squeal like a girl. Gray shortly followed behind.

"We'll be quiet now! We promise! Right, Ice-princess?"

"Right, Flame-brain! Nice and quiet!"

"Thank heavens…"

Lucy finally sat down while she tried to rub out her now annoying migraine. Right as she did so, she noticed Erza was standing just above her. She smiled toward her now knowing why the boys reacted the way they did. Erza nodded and smiled back, but her main focus was on the two who were now acting overly happy to see each other.

"I have some matters of importance to speak to you two about. " She waved the two over so she could give them details in what she was talking about. Natsu was the first to dare to approach her, but he was absolutely curious in what she had to say. Gray just took his time, only to piss the dragon off, in which it worked.

Once the two gave them their full attentions, Erza handed them a mission flier. Natsu looked confused as he read over it. He soon handed it over to Gray so he could scan it over.

"So, a starter guild needs help? Guilds don't ask other guilds for help…" The dragon scratched his head as he tried figuring it all out.

"Idiot, because they are a starter guild, they would like for the senior to help them out. It's only generous to go and help them out!" Gray slapped the flier in Natsu's face. "Read a bit closer, they just need some training."

"Yes… and since you two showed amazing results in the Grand Magic Games, a lot of eyes are on you two. Take it with pride, Natsu. Be proud that you were able to impress a lot of people including other guild masters." Erza smiled as she wrapped both her arms around the two causing them to collide into her hard armor. "I'm just proud of both of you! When you guys get back, we should take a hot springs trip with the rest of the team!"

Both nodded in agreement as soon as Erza let them go. Natsu once again looked over the flier. Something was bothering him, but he didn't know what.

'_Please helps us! We want a trainer for our new members!'_

Some how, it didn't make any sense to him at all. Mostly everyone had his or her own mentor. Igneel trained him with magic that couldn't be taught from just anyone. How was he supposed to train anyone anything with the exception of strength training? Maybe that's all they needed. Gray on the other hand, was more suited for this mission since his magic was easier taught. Though, the request boldly asked for the both of them.

"When would you like to leave for this, Natsu?" Gray looked to the slayer breaking the other from his deep thought. The ice mage would have preferred to go on this one mission alone, but it looked like Erza wouldn't let him leave without the fire breather.

Natsu shook out of his thoughts and looked over to the raven. Once he took a few seconds to realize what the other male had just asked of him, he nodded and grinned widely. "I'll give you an hour! Race me to the train station! Last one there buys dinner!"

"Ha, from the one that's going to lose! I'm going to make you eat those words!" Gray said before racing home to pack.

"Like that's going to happen, Ice-Princess!" Natsu raced behind leaving a trail of dust.

Once the rivals were out of sight, Lucy sighed happily, her headache now almost gone. "Finally! A week of silence!" As she said this, Erza sat down with her a chuckled silently to herself.

"Yes, but you'll miss them no matter how annoying they may be. I know I do." The scarlet women sighed heavily as memories regained. "They have grown so much and have gotten so much stronger." Erza mentioned. After all, they were like her siblings she never had. Having to have watched over them throughout the years, she should be proud of them.

There was silence between them for a moment before Scarlet stood up while taking a hold of Lucy's arm.

"C'mon, let's go pick a mission for us to do while they are away!"

"B-b-but, I was going to use this chance to relax!"

"There's time for that when we come back, plus what about your rent?"

Lucy paused as her lips puckered into a pout. The armored mage was right. She should be working so she could have enough for rent this month. The blonde pulled her arm back and grumbled. "Fine… I'll go…"

"Don't worry, I promised the boys that we'll all go to the hot springs as soon as they get back. Mean while, we could get a mission out of the way to pass the time."

"Ok, then in that case, could I choose the mission?" Lucy only asked because she didn't want one that only Erza could do.

"Go ahead, but hurry, I would like to leave soon."

* * *

"Why can't I go with you, Natsu? I always go on missions with you no matter what!"

A certain exceed wasn't really liking the idea that he had to stay behind for this mission. Happy was actually very upset with Natsu because of this. He did everything with the small amount of power he had to try and convince that dragon slayer. Don't even think that he missed out an opportunity to bring fish into the bribing.

"I'm sorry, Happy. I can't bring you on this one because… well… I don't like this feeling in my gut."

"So… I can't go because your gut has feelings?" The tiny blue cat was so innocent and naïve. Then again, so was Natsu. They were walking to the train station to go meet up with Gray. Happy had refused to leave Natsu's side until they at least reached the station. Natsu broke down and let the exceed do as he pleased, but he still wouldn't let the little blue kitten come with him on this mission.

The two had stopped walking for a moment as Natsu took this moment to look down at his best friend. With Happy just at his feet, Natsu leant down to pick him up into his arms. Happy tilted his head in confusion as those emerald orbs stared into his with worry.

"You okay, Natsu?"

Natsu broke out of his deep concentration. For that long moment, he blinked continuously to try and get himself back to reality.

"Perfectly fine! Now let's race to the station! I almost forgot I have to beat that stripper to the train! I don't have enough jewels in my pocket to pay for his dinner!" Just like that, he took off with a sprint, Happy still in his arms.

Moments later, they found themselves at the station. The smell and noise around the duo definitely indicated where they were. Though for Natsu, this smell, the loud horns, it was all bad news for him and his stomach. For a moment he ground just thinking about the ride soon to come. To add to this horrific ride, there was no Erza to knock him out or Wendy to heal him on the way to their destination.

The slayer let Happy go as his hand rested upon his stomach in attempts to ease the now overwhelming pain that had gained only upon the thought of being on transportation. This was wonderful, so far, it looked to be that he had beaten the ice mage to the station, but he was already feeling too sick to care. Once he thought about his rival, Gray's scent appeared behind him.

"Tch, running a bit late, aren't we." Gray stated rather than questioned.

"Hey, you should be saying that to yourself!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was here ten minutes ago. I couldn't wait any longer, so I was sitting in that coffee shop behind me."

Natsu looked over Gray's shoulder as if he didn't believe him, but then again, he could smell the hits of caffeine mixed into his normal minty pine scent. The slayer's eyebrows narrowed in defeat. Looking back at the ice mage, his emerald eyes gleamed into those dark eyes begging and pleading.

"Could you still buy dinner? I don't have the jewels…" Natsu pouted as he hunched over in desperation.

"Should have known you wouldn't keep to your word. Fine, loser!" Gray huffed walking passed the dragon slayer. "C'mon, let's go before we miss the train." He looked behind him and noticed the blue exceed. "You coming too, Happy?"

"No… Natsu told me to stay home for this one… his guts are having feelings and apparently that's a bad thing."

"Yeah, I can see that." Gray had to chuckle to himself as he noticed Natsu's arms already wrapped around his stomach. "Hopefully we can keep his guts in one place for this trip." He waved softly to Happy.

"Happy, go see if you could stay with Wendy or Gajeel for a while until we get back, okay?" Natsu said while holding himself together and walking toward the torturous metal machine. The groans and grumbles were already starting to erupt from his inner core. "Damn transportation…" He whispered in horror to himself. Taking his first step onto the platform, he could feel the vomit rising. Looking behind him, he watched as the blue kitten waved 'Good-Bye' to the both of them. Natsu smiled, but immediately commenced the hunching over and gripping his stomach harshly.

"You're so pathetic." Gray hissed as he watched the pitiful display. Though, as much as Natsu was his rival, he was also his comrade. The raven let out an annoyed sigh and leant down to grab one of Natsu's arms so he could wrap it around his shoulder. Once they stood, Gray helped carry Natsu's dead weight to near by booth with completely empty seats. He let the dragon slayer's body lay across one side of the booth as he sat on the other side.

"Ice-Make: Ice Pack!" Gray rested the ice pack upon Natsu's forehead. "There… that should help."

Natsu was amazed the ice was helping. He never would have thought that Gray's magic of all things could have helped with his motion sickness. He sat upright while holding the ice pack in place.

"Wow, thanks! It's actually helping!" He was overly enthused by this small invention that Gray had made for him.

"Of course it helps, air head! Erza told me to do this for you so don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart!" The raven huffed with his arms crossed. "So this mission, it has you on edge too?"

"You've noticed, too?"

"Yeah… too vague. I have a feeling Erza wanted us to go more than a simple task of helping a guild out…"

The train finished boarding their travelers. Soon after, a small announcement was made over the intercom, the typical safety rules and to 'have a nice trip' speech. To Natsu, it was a load of nonsense since it was never a nice trip for him. Then, the train started to move finally.

"How far are we traveling…?" Natsu was afraid to hear the answer.

"About five hours to a town called… Kealdread. Never heard of it… but according to the map that was given to us for this mission, it's in the direction this train is going." A small grumble could be heard from his rival. "Oh, try to enjoy the train ride for once! If you need more ice, I have more where that came from, okay?"

"Fine… but back on the mission…?" Natsu paused for a moment as he thought about what was going through his head earlier. "This feeling…"

"Yeah… I'm getting that feeling too." Gray didn't dare look behind him. "We're being watched…"


	2. The Blade You Wield

_Thank you for the reviews~! I loved reading them! Just to let you guys know, this will be a weekly update. I will do my best to have this posted by Monday - Tuesday! My only two days off... Ha ha. _

_**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does._

**_Warnings: _**_Nothing bad yet, but I'll let you know chapter by chapter what's in it, so you could either read it or skip it. This chapter does have violence. _

_This story is now being Beta'd by **Aiyoku Saotome****!**_

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**The Blade You Wield**

"_This feeling…"_

"_Yeah… I'm getting that feeling, too." Gray didn't dare look behind him. "We're being watched…"_

Natsu stared out the window as he held the ice pack against his forehead. As long as he had this on, he felt fine to the point where he didn't have the sensation to vomit. Gray could be a nice guy… only sometimes.

About three hours had passed. Both of the male mages still had that uneasy feeling of being watched. Then again, they were on a public train. Plus, it didn't help that they were famous, especially after the Grand Magic Games; one of their shining moments. Now that Fairy Tail was back at the top, the mission request board was flooded. It was wonderful, but now everyone was too busy to see each other.

'_At least Lucy will have plenty of missions to choose from_,' Natsu chuckled, thinking of the blonde and how she always used to complain that there either weren't enough missions to choose from, or not enough good paying ones, so she could pay her rent.

"What are you laughing about, Lizard breath?" The ice mage piped up as his eyes slowly opened. It was nice to take a nap without the dragon slayer making strange noises. He took advantage of the situation.

"Tch, you could do without the name calling for once!" Natsu spat before reverting his mood. "I was just thinking about how well our guild is doing after the Games. I'm happy that Fairy Tail is back in business. Everyone is way too busy, now. To think, not even two months ago, we were such a sad guild just looking to survive." He glanced over to the raven. "I'm glad we won."

"Me too… but the down fall… I'm now forced into a bunch of solo missions with a loser that slows me down!" Gray teased as a soft smirk tugged at his lips.

"Hey! If anything, _you_ slow _me_ down! You don't even allow me to go all out most of the time!"

"If you did, you would destroy everything in the surrounding area."

Natsu grumbled and forced his eyes off Gray so he could stare back out the window. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wished he could do just one mission with Happy and no one else, like he used to a while back. Ever since the team had been formed, those days disappeared. Though it was, in some ways, for the better.

"Are you still having that strange feeling…?" Gray reluctantly asked.

"Yeah… even after three hours from the station. I figured it could just be strangers glancing over now and then… but this is more of a constant uneasy feeling. I can't even tell if this is an innocent bystander or a dark presence." Natsu's emerald orbs watched as the land outside pass by. He could never really get to enjoy this view. "What about you?"

"Well, my senses aren't heightened like yours are, so that's why I asked." He paused before going back into the conversation. "I figured you were feeling it more than I was, but I do agree with you. I can't make it out, either. I'm not sure if it's 'Good or Evil'. Although, I was kind of hoping you could have answered that for me…"

Natsu felt bad. The one time his senses could have helped. The situation became uneasy for the two as the questions lingered in their minds. Was there someone following them? If so, who and why?

The sky grew darker as storm clouds covered the bright blue above. The dragon's emerald orbs glance up in awe. Flashing lights in the distance indicated lightning threatening the ground below. Natsu rolled down the window just enough for him to take in the scent that the storm let off. The storm season soothed his mind and calmed him. He wasn't sure why, but he did enjoy storms.

Gray just watched the slayer as he looked at ease. To him, it was annoying how quiet it was between them. Not only that, but how stupid Natsu looked when he sniffed the air like a dog. The ice mage just shrugged it off as his mind reverted to food. His arm waved out of their booth so he could flag down the food trolley. As the woman caught a glimpse of Gray waving her down, she gladly pushed the trolley towards the ice mage.

"Natsu, food," Gray said as the food was wheeled over to them. Once the dragon slayer caught a whiff of the delicious food, his attention automatically reverted towards the trolley. His stomach moaned loudly, giving himself and everyone within hearing range the indication he was starving. His mouth watered at the beautiful sight.

"It was like you knew!"

"Are you kidding me? Everyone knows you have an intimate relationship with food, ya idiot!" The raven groaned softly to himself as he paid the woman generously. "Go ahead, flame-brain. Get whatever you would like. I'm paying since you're obviously 'poor'." He air quoted in a joking manor.

Natsu would have made a come back, but right now there was food to choose from, and that was an even bigger problem. Soon enough he grabbed what he wanted, thanked the lady graciously for her hard work, and apologized for taking his time. What? He can't be polite? The woman chuckled and waited for Gray to take his share. After, she bowed and left with a now almost empty food trolley.

"Ya know if you eat too much, you'll become too fat to move. Not to mention going on any more missions." Gray stated as he slowly ate his small portion of food. Well, small compared to Natsu's pile.

"I can do what I want! Plus, I barely gain anything. Remember… 'Fire Dragon Slayer'. I can burn off the fat and carbs easily!" The slayer said in between bites of food, not even slowing down. Yes, he was still on the train, but that ice pack upon his forehead had surprisingly helped to the point where he couldn't feel any more motion sickness, at least for now. If anything, he was enjoying the train ride. Wait… enjoying? He was with Gray Fullbuster, his number one rival. He wasn't supposed to be enjoying this!

Grunting at the thought, Natsu just kept on eating the food that was in front of him. Gray on the other hand, just watched as his facial expressions switch between annoyed and content. The two of them on a mission together, it was basically deemed impossible, but lately he was getting used to it. A soft smile tugged at his lips, maybe it was meant to be.

"Hey, Nats-!"

_SCREECH…_

Gray and Natsu stopped what they were doing and looked up in shock. The train had come to a screeching halt. The pile of food was thrown about, but the slayer couldn't care about that right now. Why did the train suddenly stop? They at least had another hour or two until reaching their destination. The two looked at each other and then abruptly stood. They were on alert, now.

"What the hell was that?!"

"I'm not sure, but let's go and check it out." Gray tried to stay calm. Stepping out of the booth, he looked back to the slayer. "Go towards the front and I'll check the back. We'll meet at this spot in ten minutes, ok?"

Natsu nodded and then took a hard right to do exactly what he was told. There was no time to question Gray's orders. Their number one objective now was to find out the issue. For some reason, deep down they both knew that this wasn't any normal train stop or malfunction. Maybe this was the weird feeling Natsu was having before he stepped onto this train.

While rushing to the front of the train, there was one thing that he had noticed that was way off. There was no one on the train. No bags and no passengers. What happened to the trolley lady? He couldn't find her either. The slayer gulped harshly as he rushed a bit faster. Closing one door from one train car and opening another, that's when he ran into a tall figure.

"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted as he landed on his butt.

While reaching a hand around to rub at the sore cheek, he looked up at the stranger he had bumped into. A man in his early twenties stood about three inches taller than him. The man had black hair darker than Gray's that hung a bit passed his chin. He wore a black trench coat that almost touched the ground and a skintight black shirt and pants. A cross necklace was placed around his neck; the style was completely different from the ice mage's. To top it off, this strange man that was looking down at Natsu, had a long black hilted sword.

The dragon slayer stood back up and glared down the black covered stranger. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Gnash Tempest, your worst nightmare… Rage-blade Drain Cremator!"

Before Natsu could even think about defending himself, the blade of the sword he once saw next to this man, Gnash, was now pierced through his chest. His emerald orbs stare down at the sword. He couldn't understand. There was no pain. No blood. What was going on? With his eyes wide and shaken, he slowly looked back up at the dark haired man. There it was. That evil grin said everything. There was something more to this.

"What… d-did you do?" Natsu pushed out the question, but some how, deep down, he already knew. His legs grew weak as he fell to his knees. Cold sweat dripped down his face. Natsu felt like throwing up. Something was definitely wrong. His magical power was depleting fast.

"I would tell you, but it looks like you have already realized." Gnash pulled the blade out as it now glowed a vibrant red. "Boy, that was tasty. Such a pity, though; thought you would have put up a much more entertaining fight. I guess I was too fast for you. Shame… and you call yourself a powerful wizard from the infamous Fairy Tail guild, Natsu Dragneel. Yet here you are, powerless and on your knees. I should kill you now!"

He knew who he was? Not a surprise. Natsu was famous, but the way this man was talking about him and his guild made it sound like he was out to kill him from the start. The slayer wasn't going to have any of that. His life was not ending here. Slowly, the pinkette got onto his feet, though not without struggle. This surprised Gnash a little.

"Don't you dare talk like you know me! You know n-nothing about me!" One of his hand cups over the open wound and the other clenched up into a ball in anger. "Gnash, right? You might have taken my magic away, but I still have my courage and determination! I just met you and I already want to kill you!" His one fist slammed into a near by metal wall. As it made contact, it vibrated making a harsh sound, but also vibrated throughout his body as well. "You took my magic! Not my strength! You're going to regret what you have done!"

"You'll regret fighting back. The breaking will only become that much harder, young dragon." Gnash chuckled deeply as he held his sword out, with the vibrant red light to emitting from it, ready to fight. "Sadly for you, this will end quicker than you think."

Natsu took his fighting stance, his fists now in front. He was the first to strike, but missed as Gnash dodged the incoming blow. The slayer threw a few more punches as the swordsman let him strike freely. As he saw it, this would be an easy win. All it would take was one swing.

The dragon threw one of his last pitiful swings at the swords man, missing once again. Now he has his back to Gnash. Though as if he was watching the horror in slow motion, the dark haired man grabbed a hold of Natsu's scarf from behind and harshly pulled him in close in the process of choking the dragon. Gnash's flaming blade found its way through Natsu's body once again except this time there was blood. He hit the right kidney.

The flaming light from the sword scattered as if on a rampage within Natsu's body. That's when he knew, it was his own power, but it was against him. His scream became ear screeching. Everything hurt within. His vision blurred and soon he could only see flames.

He could feel his scarf being let go, causing him to fall upon his hands and knees. He leaned down so his face was hidden in his arms. Natsu couldn't stop screaming. Was this really happening to him? Did he really fail? Where was Gray? He needed the ice mage even if it was to cool him off from these flames that engulfed him from the inside.

"Since I took your magic, your body became like any normal humans. Receiving your own power back is ten times more painful for you rather than if you were anyone else." Gnash explained as he was enjoying the sight in front of him.

"Gahhhh-! Please make it stop! I-it hurts so much…" Natsu found himself whimpering like a small child. He couldn't help himself. He had never felt this kind of pain before in his life. "Gray! Help please… Gahhh…!"

"That Fullbuster kid? Ha, he's not coming for you. You're both in the same predicament. You think we'd let you two get away that easily when we're trying to kidnap you?" He walked close to the dragon slayer and leant down so his mouth was close enough to the other's ear. "We were sent to capture the both of you. You and that pretty ice mage will now be our Master's toys. So, please make this easy for me and pass out already."

After saying this, Gnash took the hilt of his sword and hit the back of Natsu's neck hard. The next thing the slayer knew, his eyes closed and his mind went blank. Everything that Gnash had told him faded away into nothing as his world became black.

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_R&amp;R please! It really does help me get motivated! Also, let me know if you want this to be a Gratsu or not. I'm planning on it, especially the turn I'm taking. I just want to hear from you guys and what you think on it! ~ A/N_


	3. The Future You See

_Thank you all for your patients. This chapter is only a few hours late from my original updated plans. Like I have said before, life outside of internet can be busy. I'm just happy I'm able to find time for this story~!_

_**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is not mine, but **Hiro Mashima**'s_

_**Warning:** Hints of torture and a somewhat graffic scene. It'll only get worse from here._

_Enjoy~!_

_This story is Beta'd by **Aiyoku Saotome****!**_

* * *

**The Future You See**

Gray watched as Natsu dashed towards the front of the train. As soon as he couldn't see the slayer anymore, he started towards the back. He was now on high alert;the train had stopped out of nowhere, after all. He'd rather figure out why than just sit there not doing anything. This was Gray, after all.

One thing he did notice was that for some reason, there was no one on the train. He could have sworn there was a whole bunch of people before. Plus, the train hadn't stopped until just a moment ago. What scared him the most was that there was no evidence of passengers**,** either. Gray just shook his head trying not to think that he was going insane. Though, it slowly caused him to panic.

"Goddamnit! What the hell is going on here?"

Gray ran faster, hoping he could find an answer soon. That's all he wanted. Just an answer, and hopefully it's something completely stupid. The train just needed to be fixed and they were both asleep when they dropped the other passengers off. He was taking a nap and sometimes could be a very deep sleeper. That had to be it.

The raven looked out the window as hard rain fell from the stormy sky. Crackling thunder could be heard directly above him. At that moment, as things grew quiet around him, he swore he heard Natsu screaming for him. As he turned his head towards the front of the train, his dark orbs met bright red. Gray suddenly couldn't move. It was like he was trapped in a trance.

Blinking a few times, the stranger with vibrant red eyes disappeared. He was still on the train, but there was the dragon slayer. The ice mage couldn't believe what he was seeing. The pinkette was somehow hanging from the ceiling with his hands tied above him and his feet bound to the floor. Natsu was naked and… crying. The worst part of the horrific scene in front of him was the blood, how much of it there was on Natsu and pooled around his beaten body.

"Oh, poor little slayer… You know the rules." Gray looked away from Natsu and noticed a new being he hadn't seen before. The being was male and probably in his early twenties. He had dark red hair shorter than his. This man wore a dark red vest that overlapped a long sleeved white shirt, which seemed to be rolled up each arm. What this man held in his hand is what caused Gray's heart to sink; a whip with metal blades on the end. "If you want this to stop, all you have to do is call me _Master_. If not, I either continue or you could cry for mercy and the torture will stop... until tomorrow."

"No! Stop it!" Gray tried reaching out to grab a hold of the man's arm to stop him, but it was like he wasn't even there. Looking back at Natsu, Gray could notice the lost hope in those emerald hues. Yes, they were rivals, but he would never wish this upon any of his friends. Seeing the dragon slayer crying and giving up hope killed him slowly on the inside. "Natsu!"

"Gehe, poor guy. To think the future could bear such horrors! Gehehehe!" Gray looked behind him and noticed a dark shadow with bright green eyes looking right at him. This startled him, but he was on guard now.

"What are you talking about?" The ice mage's eyebrows narrowed as his fists clenched at his sides.

"Gray! Help me!" He wanted to turn around, but realizing this was just an illusion, he tried his best to focus on the possible enemy in front of him. "Gray…" Natsu's voice turned into a whisper and was strangely closer. "Why aren't you helping me…?" He closed his eyes tried to make the illusion disappear. "Gray…" The voice was now more feminine. It sent a chill down his spine.

That's when he turned to the voice. It was those vibrant red eyes again. This time he caught the shape of the shadow. A girl with long white hair stood before him. She wore a dark purple kimono, which faded into black towards the bottom. She set off a creepy aura.

Behind her was the scene of Natsu being whipped as he screamed for Gray to save him, but he was mute. The only thing that the raven could hear now was his heart beating fast as anxiety rose within his stomach. The slayer's emerald green eyes flooded with tears and spilled over his face, making a river mixed with acid tears and blood. Those eyes were looking directly at Gray. Was this really Natsu's future? What about him? Where did he fit into this horrid picture?

He had spoken too soon. Before Gray knew it, two hands were placed upon his head, One in front and one in back. Both were from different people. The one in the front was from the white haired girl.

"Gehe, this was easier than I thought! Now, ascend into darkness. Blacksoul Spectral!"

"Of the future, Snarerule Fate!"

"W-wait! Stop! Don't!"

Before Gray could fight back, everything changed around him. Both of the strangers and now assumed enemies had disappeared. He never got a good look at the other guy. Now he wished he had. This wasn't good. So far, darkness had engulfed his vision. There was nothing for moment, and then he felt his arms being strained and pulled above his figure. The sound of chains rang in his ears. He finally opened his eyes to see the situation he was now in.

When he looked down, he noticed his feet were chained to the floor. His arms were as he suspected; above his head chained together hanging from the ceiling. At least he still had his boxers on. Even though this scene looked and felt so real, he knew it was an illusion.

"Welcome, Gray Fullbuster, to your future." There was that feminine voice again. He looked down to see the white haired girl standing in front of him. She was about five feet tall. "Lillith Wraith, if you were wondering,and as you could already tell, I can make you see your fate. Though, for some reason, your fate also includes that ugly looking pinkette."

"Why is he here, too?" Gray was confused as this woman who called herself Lillith talked about Natsu. He didn't want what he had seen before to be the dragon slayer's future.

"The real question is why's a hottie like you here with him? I think it's unfair for you to be wasted on my Master." She cued as a single finger traced down the ice mages abs. "I would love to torture this body myself."

"Ice-Make… Gah!"

"Gehe! Nice try, fairy! Too bad for you, Grimm's Anti-magic chains are top notch! No magic could break those. Not to mention, it back-fires. Which, it seems you have just experienced! Gehe!" A stranger came out of thin air like he was fazing in from a shadow.

This particular character had long black hair tied back into a ponytail. His pointed, bright green orbs stared back at Gray. He wore what looked like a black lather jacket, which seems to have simultaneous belts hanging from it. To top off the jacket, the collar was covered in white fur. His skin was pale and his lips looked like he had snakebite piercings.

"What are you going to do, Fullbuster? Use your magic? Gehe!" This man's smile was probably the creepiest, most haunting Gray had ever seen.

"What's your gain? You both obviously know who I am. You were sent to capture Natsu and I. The question is, why?"

"It's not for personal gain. If it were, that ugly pinky wouldn't be a part of this." Lillith scoffed as she looked to her partner.

"Gehe, it's because our Master had requested for yours and Dragneel-kun's presence. What his gain is, well that's what we are showing you. Oh boy, does it look fun! Geha!"

"Who are you, anyways?" Gray tried to stay calm. Maybe he could find a way out of this while planning how to get him and Natsu away from this situation. Stalling and gathering information was the best he could do for now.

"Oh? Me? Viktor Nox, hehe… not like it matters to you anyways. If I were you, I would stop stalling and focus on what's happening to you as we speak. Gehe!" Viktor laughed violently.

Gray's eyes widened, as he looked above him to the cuffs bounding his hands together. Ice was growing from them and starting to engulf his hands while slowly crawling down his arms. This couldn't be happening! Was this his ice? As he watched the horror unfold above him, Gray could hear a violent laughter coming from Viktor. Looking down at the shadowy man, the ice mage sneered in disgust.

"You're a coward! Let me out of these chains and fight me like a real man!" Gray shouted as he tried struggling his way out of his confinements. Unfortunately for him, the more he did struggle; the faster the ice grew, causing him to move even less. This made Viktor laugh harder.

Lillith stood there with her arms crossed over her chest with a small grin upon her lips. She was enjoying this as much as her partner was. She turned around as she raised a hand. A red magical circle projected from her palm as she dispelled the scene she had created. The darkness depleted as the moon light shown through the train car windows.

Gray watched as his own ice slowly encased his whole body except for his head. With the fear settled in and the darkness gone, he noticed that it wasn't an illusion after all. It was all a cheap trick. He was still chained to the ceiling of the car. How they were able to get him chained so fast without him even blinking was what scared him the most.

The two that had stood in front of him turned their heads to look behind them, grins now plastered to their lips. What were they smiling about? The raven looked up to notice a tall figure walking towards to them. His eyes went wide as he noticed what the man was carrying over his shoulder.

"Was he an easy catch for you, Gnash? You look so disappointed." Lillith squeaked. A hint of pink now sat upon her cheeks.

"Tch, too easy. Figured with the reputation he has, he would have at least put up a somewhat fun fight, but in the end," Gnash dropped the heavy weight he carried upon the hard floor in front of him to reveal his _catch_, "I was still too fast."

"Natsu!" Gray couldn't believe what he was seeing. The dragon slayer had failed? Even he couldn't make his first move without being in chains first. Who were these people? His dark blue orbs shook in fear as his heart pounded against his chest. Seeing his friend unconscious and him unable to do anything frightened him.

"Gehe! Glad to see the fear is finally setting in. Ha!" Viktor chuckled a bit as he observed the ice mage's expression before he walked over to the dragon slayer**'**s motionless body. "What a beautiful sight! Gehe!"

"W-who are you guys…?" The raven asked as the ice slowly crawled up is neck. He really wanted to shout at Viktor, '_Stay away from Natsu_'.

Gnash softly stepped upon Natsu's head while pushing it to the side, though just barely applying pressure. This caused Gray to clench his teeth. "We're the they whisper about. The one's that cause nightmares for most mages. The ones you never want to randomly clash into. The ones you never want after you," He began his speech while slowly grinding the dragon's head into the floor. "The ones you have met before in a different form. Though, the pitiful trio before us is nowhere close to the strength we wield. We are the new Trinity Raven!"

That name. A while back at the tower of heaven, they had defeated a group called Trinity Raven that Jellal had hired. They were presumed dead as the tower collapsed after Natsu and Jellal's big fight. He thought back to it;they were a tough trio, but there was something different about this new developed group that stood in front of him. They were more agile than Natsu and himself. It was like they trained for this one moment to capture the mages.

Assassins.

Thinking back now, Trinity Raven came from a dark assassins guild bent on capturing and torturing. Now Gray found himself at the foot of their power. He never would have thought they could be this strong, even strong enough to take out Natsu without breaking a sweet.

As the ice slowly crept up his chin and nose**,** only leaving his eyes left, Gray watched as Viktor lifted the dragon slayer into his arms. With one hand, he tilted the pinkette's head close to his face. He grinned widely toward the ice mage as his elongated tongue stuck up and licked Natsu's entire visage.

'_Leave him alone!_' Gray wanted to shout, but as he watched this unfold before him, his ice covered his eyes, causing him to black out completely.

"The taste of pain and suffering! Such a beautiful thing! Gehe!" Viktor proclaimed as he turned the unconscious dragon slayer's head back and forth. "I could just feel the horrifying pain you put him through, Gnash.**" **He chuckled some more while rubbing his face against the pinkette's. "Could I please have this one?"

"Ew, He's ugly and gross! Why would you want him?" Lillith sneered and pretended to gag.

"I like the pink hair and his physique looks so innocent and delicious! Gehe!"

"No one is claiming the prisoners. Only Master and his spoiled son." Gnash snapped as he took the dragon slayer's body out of Viktor's arms and hoisted the dead weight over his shoulders once again. "Viktor, get us out of here. I bet the Master is growing impatient with us."

As ordered, a soft shadow surrounded the four of them including Gray, who was now completely encased in ice. Before leaving, Gnash quickly swung his sword at the chain that held the ice mage so he could cut it loose. The now broken chain slowly disappeared,leaving only the anti-magic cuffs which Gray had worn upon his wrists. It didn't seem to affect the ice, but at least he'll be easier to transport with the rest of them.

Moments later, Trinity Raven appeared from the shadows. To anyone else, they were in the middle of nowhere but to them, it was the home of their guild. Hidden behind an invisible shield. Gnash reached out a hand to what seemed to be an invisible wall, and pushed. It opened inwardly as if it was a door.

A small group had awaited them upon their arrival. They helped carry the giant ice block that kept Gray encased inside.

One of the men in the group hoisted the captured ice mage through the door. "I can't believe you've done it, Gnash-sama!"

"Don't pretend that I was incapable of doing so," Gnash demanded as a red head then greeted him upon his entrance with Viktor and Lillith not far behind. "Grimm…"

"Is that my present you are holding, Tempest? How sweet of you to hand deliver him to me." The man called Grimm chuckled softly as a cigarette hung loosely from his lips. "Just in time," he whispered to himself as he walked closer to the tall, dark assassin. "Bring them both down to the cells. I'll prepare some for them in the morning."

Gnash nodded as he walked away from Grimm.

"Natsu Dragneel. Gray Fullbuster. Prepare for the worst." The red haired man grinned evilly to himself.

* * *

_A/N: Wow! Just saying, my heart shattered while writing this! What do you guys think so far? Also, this is going to end up being a Gratsu, but I'll be developing the character's to that point. I'm not going to pounce the ship into the story right away. R&amp;R please! It helps me stay motivated~! Thank you!_


	4. The Pain You Feel

_Thank you all for your patience! As an update, I will be now posting every **Wednesday - Thursday** to do my busy schedule! Also, I loved reading all of your reviews~!_

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fairy Tail. It's **Hiro Mashima's** property. _

_**Warnings**: Torture and heartfelt moments. _

_I would like to thank **Aiyoku Saotome** for being such an amazing Beta~! Love you~!_

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**The Pain You Feel**

Everything was silent as Natsu slowly gained consciousness. The darkness disappeared while he finally opened his eyes. Emerald orbs tried to find the clear in his foggy vision. As the image around him grew clearer, a small part of him wanted to pass back out.

He was in a dungeon-like cell that seemed to only show light from the dimly lit hall. Steel bars indicated that he was a prisoner. He was propped up against the stone wall with his legs spread apart in front of him. The dragon noted the cuffs that were attached to his legs and arms. That wasn't even the worst of this situation he had found himself in. There was excruciating pain striking through his entire physique.

"Gah!" Natsu squinted his eyes as he tried not to think about the pain that manifested within him.

"Natsu…?"

"Gray…?" Natsu looked over to see the ice mage not even a foot away from him. It seemed they were in the same predicament. "Did they… harm you?" He tried letting out as he pretended he was feeling no pain.

"No. They just played a cheap trick on me and..." The ice mage looked over at Natsu as the memory of what happened to the dragon slayer and what might be his future clouded his thoughts. "Nothing… are you ok?"

The dragon slayer took his gaze away from those dark blue eyes. He didn't want to show the amount of pain he was in and how utterly disappointed he was in himself for being defeated so easily. Natsu didn't want to answer Gray's question.

"So, what's the plan?" The slayer asked instead, hoping the ice mage had an escape plan for them.

Gray could tell that Natsu was avoiding his question. This only made him wonder what had really happened. What did that Gnash character do to his comrade? He could only imagine. Though, the slayer looked perfectly fine, now. The raven let out a heavy sigh.

Leaving the fire mage alone about the topic, he reverted to thinking about a strategy to getting them out of this hellhole. "I'm not sure, exactly. We need to know what we're up against first."

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he tried dealing with a spontaneous burst of pain. While thinking over the situation and mulling about the enemy the slayer slowly pushed his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Anxiety slowly settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Natsu?" Gray tried getting his friend's attention. It was slowly killing him seeing such agony upon the other's face. He could tell Natsu was hiding something from him. The ice mage didn't know how to comfort the dragon slayer. It wasn't normal to see his friend in such a state.

The pinkette gazed back up at the raven. Natsu could see worry in those dark orbs. He hated seeing Gray being concerned for him. The slayer would get over this feeling as soon as he was able to fight. This was nothing new. Just like Gildarts had once told him, fear only makes you stronger.

"I'm fine… seriously," Natsu insisted as he reached his arm out and gave the other male mage a friendly punch to the arm. "Stop you're worrying, ice princess! You're creeping me out." A small chuckle followed his words.

Once the slayer showed his wide grin, Gray felt a little better. Though, deep down he knew that Natsu was faking his expression.

"I could tell you what's not fine," Natsu was now trying to lighten up the mood, "My stomach has been growling this whole time. It's like I haven't eaten in days."

"Ha, there you go again. You and food, the number one relationship in all of Fairy Tail."

"I can't help the fact that I'm hungry all the time!"

"Maybe you're pregnant, fire-brain!"

"Then food's the father!" Natsu joked along. He completely forgot where they were in that one moment. That soon changed as his ears perked at the sound of the cell door sliding open.

The two mages looked up to see Gnash standing at the front of the cell. Behind him was Viktor. Natsu immediately froze as that fear he tried to hide earlier now resurfaced, his emerald hues not leaving the tall dark figure that approached them.

Gray noticed the fear that was now evident upon the slayer's expression. Something horrid had happened, and now he wanted answers. He quickly stood to his feet as he pulled at the chains that held him back. His anger now was aimed towards Gnash, who stood there in front of the raven with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What did you do to him?!" Gray snapped with clenched teeth.

Viktor strolled over to Natsu with a lustful smirk upon his pale lips. "The real question should be what are we going to do to him, Gehe!" The insane assassin chuckled as his bony fingers stroked down the slayer's cheek.

Natsu glared up at this stranger. Why was he touching him? The pinkette's eyebrows narrowed as he broke out of his trance. As those fingers traveled over his lips, Natsu took this chance and bit the man in front of him. Small drops of blood dribbled into his mouth before Viktor yelped and pulled his hand away.

"Feisty**,** this one is! Ge…" Viktor said unpleasantly as he rubbed over his now bloody fingers. He watched as the dragon slayer spit out the blood. "Yet so tempting."

"Don't mess with Grimm's toy. Only he's allowed to break him and you know that." Gnash glared over at his partner. "Our job is to bring them to Master." He said this while gripping a handful of Gray's hair, and then slammed his head against the stone wall behind.

Natsu caught this action from the corners of his eyes. Panic and anger started to settle within him. "Gray!" He shot right up and tried his best to get to the ice mage's aid. He could only get so far with the chains. The slayer soon found his gaze meeting those of the man he now despised.

"Tch, if you want to save him, then use your magic power. Those cuffs on you aren't anti-magic." Gnash explained while gripping one of Natsu's wrists. "Unlike Fullbuster here, you can use your magic. That is… if you're not scared of it by now."

The ice mage watched as his vision blacked in and out. His head really hurt. He could feel blood dripping down the back of his neck. "N-Natsu…?"

Now realizing this, the slayer glanced down to his hands in wonder. He clenched his fists as he began to shake. "_K-k-karyū no-o-o… _Gah!" The slayer fell to his knees while his hands cover his face. The pain he once felt before grew more intense as he tried drawing his magic.

Gnash just let the scene unfold before them. His main focus was gathering the two and bringing them to his Master like promised. Unchaining the ice mage from the wall but never letting the cuffs around his arms and legs unlock, he held the four chains while pulling them together and latching to a leash at the end.

Viktor did the same with Natsu, though while pulling the chains together, it forced Natsu to have his hands torn away from his visage revealing small tears streaming down his cheeks. Gray couldn't help himself from looking at his friend. Never had he seen such weakness in the slayer. That agonized expression, those tears, it reminded him of that illusion. Was this really their future?

"Walk." Gnash demanded.

All four of them reached the Assassin's guild main hall. It looked eerily similar to Fairy Tail's Guild hall, but this place was a lot darker and the people that hung around were a bit creepy. They all laughed and grunted, knowing full well what was going to happen.

"I wonder what Grimm has in store for these two," Gray over heard one of the male guild members say.

"I can't wait to hear what that pinky sounds like."

Natsu tried ignoring what everyone around them were saying. His dragon hearing wasn't letting him win. '_Unlike Fullbuster here, you can use your magic'. _He kept replaying what Gnash had said to him in his head. Natsu could use his magic. He could get Gray and him out of this. Though… it was easier said than done. He couldn't even look at the ice mage right now. Who knows what Gray was thinking of him right now?

He failed them both.

"Welcome!"

Everything went silent. Natsu and Gray halted once they felt the chains being pulled by their captors. Everyone looked toward a man who stood in front of a throne made of stone. He stood about six feet tall with long, slicked back red hair. His left eye was covered by a black eye-patch as the skin around it was scarred. This man could be anywhere between his mid-forties to mid-fifties. He wore a fancy black tux with a red tie.

Above this man was a flag with their guild crest upon it. _Death's Head Caucus_, the dark assassin guild that could never be found. Nothing about this guild was known except for their name and the ex-members of Trinity Raven.

"Natsu Dragneel," the man had begun, "Gray Fullbuster. Welcome to Death's Head Caucus. I'm Master Bielznef Grimm," he introduced himself while bowing slightly. "It's such an honor to be in your presence!" Laughter could be heard from the men in the guild.

Gray wondered why the 'Grimm' he had seen in the illusion looked completely different from the one that stood in front of them. That was when someone else step onto the scene. This person stood next to Bielznef Grimm. Gray's eyes widened at the sight of this man.

It was him. Short red hair, and a red vest that over lapped a long sleeved white shirt. This time, the ice mage could see him clearer. There seemed to be a simple black tribal tattoo that wrapped around his neck. At the end of his right arm, there was a cluster of black bracelets. Some were leather and others metal.

"Nice of you to join us," Bielznef grinned, then turned towards Natsu and Gray. "Amarion Grimm" he said, introducing the man standing next to him.

The guildsmen hooted and hollered. Natsu turned slightly to glance over at Gray. This wasn't good at all. He needed some courage, though seeing the raven's visage scared him.

"How shall we start?" The master looked to his guild.

"Humiliation!" They all shouted.

Amarion smirked as he finally approached the two Fairy Tail mages. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a pack of cigarettes. The redhead took a single out of the package. After, Amarion held out the end to Natsu.

"Light it."

"W-what?" The slayer was confused by his simple demand.

"Did you not hear me correctly? I'm sorry, let me repeat for you!" Amarion then placed the cigarette between his lips. He let the cancer stick hang there while he suddenly grabbed a hand full of Natsu's hair, making the slayer tilt his head up. Now the redhead was closer to his face. "Light it!"

Natsu grinned his teeth as he glared into those dark red eyes. He wasn't going to do a damn thing for this bastard. He obviously didn't know who Natsu was.

"Tch, you'll regret not listening to me." Amarion whispered before letting go of Natsu's hair and stepping back. "Strip them!"

Natsu and Gray gawked as their hearts sank into the pits of their stomachs. Did he just say strip? They both shared eye contact right before the hoards of men surrounded them. Gray was used to stripping, but on his own terms. Not by anyone else and definitely not these men. Though, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Stop! Please, no!" Natsu's shouts echoed throughout the hall. Gray bit his lip at the sound. Damn, why was this happening to them?

"Leave him alone!" The ice-mage snapped, not giving a crap about what happened to his pants and boxers. Natsu was obviously taking this harder than him. If only he knew what exactly Gnash had done to his friend so he could understand why the dragon slayer could not use his power.

Once the men cleared and sat back down, Gray dared to glance over to his comrade. It looked as if his clothes were scattered around him, but his muffler. That was the only thing left.

Amarion lifted his arms in awe. The sight in front of him was absolutely beautiful. He had not seen such pray. In his mind, he was a luckiest man in the world, and he was about to play with his new toys.

"Thank you, father, for such beauty!" He chimed while walking back towards the slayer, who had his head down in embarrassment. "Aw, why the long face, little slayer? We're just about to start." The redhead smiled while gripping onto the muffler around Natsu's neck. "You don't need this, I'm sorry." He then pulled it completely off.

"No! Not that! Please!" Natsu pleaded. Tears threaten to spill from his orbs. "You can pull the cloths from my back, humiliate me in front of everyone here, but please don't destroy my muffler! Someone very precious gave that to me! It's the only thing I have to remember him by!"

Gray watched as Natsu pleaded. He felt sympathetic towards the slayer. He couldn't remember a time he didn't have his muffler wrapped around him. It was like Igneel gave him extra strength to lead him into battle. What would Natsu be like without it?

"Natsu…"

Amarion stood there debating in what he should do. Being caring of other's pleas, was not who he was. Another grin was placed upon his lips while he reached into his back pocket to pull out a switchblade.

"Sorry to tell you, I'm not one to give into pleas!" He then took the blade and slashed the scarf into pieces.

Natsu's world had stopped as he watch this scene in horror. His eyes couldn't have gotten wider. His entire body quivered until he finally collapsed onto his knees. He couldn't do anything. If he used his magic, it would have backfired before he would be able to break free. Everything was silent. All of those memories with Igneel flashed into his vision.

He had failed too many times in a row. How could he have let this happen on his watch? Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail failed himself, and even Gray.

"Natsu!" He could hear the ice mage shouting for him, but he was too lost in this horrific nightmare. That's when he finally broke. A loud scream emitted from deep inside him as he leaned forward. The pain in his heart soon became waterfalls of tears.

"What a pathetic display from one of Fiore's strongest guilds!" Bielznef bellowed in enjoyment. Amarion turned to his father before sprinkling the pieces of the scarf over Natsu's head.

Gray could not believe what he had witnessed at all. He couldn't stand by any longer and watch the dragon slayer suffer. He tugged at the chains that bound him. Gnash pulled even harder to keep the angered ice mage at bay.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Gray snarled at the black swordsman. "Natsu! Snap out of it!"

Everyone watched as the dragon slayer continued his pathetic wailing. Amarion swiftly lifted his left arm as if to signal something. A second after, the floor shook as two slabs of stone rose from the ground behind him. The stone stopped once it stood about six feet tall. Each stone possessed four hooks.

Gnash and Viktor nodded as if they knew what Amarion wanted them to do. They walked the prisoners over to the slabs and attached all four chains to the hooks. This forced the two mages to spread their legs and have their arms lifted above their heads. Natsu and Gray's naked backs were now completely exposed to the assassins' guild.

The ice mage looked over to the dragon slayer and kept his dark eyes focused on his friend. Natsu didn't want to open his eyes. He knew Gray was looking at him. How humiliating it was to show such weakness in front of a guy like him.

"G-Gray… please don't…" Natsu begged softly now opening his eyes to reveal those watery hues.

Gnash and Viktor stepped aside giving Amarion Grimm his space. The swordsman looked away from the redhead, not even giving him the satisfaction of acknowledgment. Viktor on the other hand, approach Grimm with a wide grin.

"If you ever get sick and tired of pinky over there, I'm fairly interested in him! Gehe!"

"Dually noted, but unfortunately, he's the one I've been waiting for." Amarion sneered while shooing away the insane assassin. "Get-get! It's time for the real fun to start!"

This was exciting the redhead too much, it seemed. One of the guildsman walked up to him and placed something in his hand. Oh, the party was getting started now. What he held in his hand was his favorite torture weapon. Grimm's own take on a whip. This whip was like no other. A leather hilt with sporadic leather braids. On each braid held bits of sharp metal and bone fragments from his past victims.

"Hear, hear! The fun is here! The fun shall start! I'll show you all how to break one who considers himself strong! It's sad to think these two just won the great Ol' Grand Magic Games! Seems almost pitiful seeing them like this!" Amarion stated while the roars of laugher echoed. "Watch them quiver and beg for mercy! Let's see how long they last with us before giving up!"

After saying such words, Grimm turned to his delicious victims. He smoothed the palm of his hand over Gray's back, and then to Natsu's. Next, he softly guided the ends of his whip up both backs.

Gray tried to stay calm. He knew what awaited them, now. The raven already wanted this to be over. Natsu, though, was the first to shiver at the feel of the whip.

"Whom shall I start with?" The redhead pondered to himself softly. His dark red hues glimpsed over the two naked mages in front of him, their bodies tied and completely helpless. Once his gaze strayed upon the pinkette, his mind was made up. He leaned in and gently caressed Natsu's guild mark. "Oh have I been waiting for this moment. You shall be mine." He whispered into the slayer's ear.

The dragon slayer whimpered once he heard Amarion step back. He knew it was coming. Grimm raised his arm, readying himself to crack the whip. Gray watched in horror as the whip finally made a cracking sound before clashing into Natsu's flesh.

The dragon flung his head back as the sudden stinging pain made his body shudder. He could already feel the warm liquid dribbling down his back. At first, he couldn't find his voice. The pain was too intense... and this was just the first strike.

"Let's hear those cries of agony, little slayer!" Amarion chuckled before he swung the whip again. This time, he hit the tan skin harder, and blood splattered. Natsu's tears covered his face. "I can't hear ya!"

"Natsu! Fight this! Don't give him the satisfaction!" Gray shouted while shaking the chains he was in. His fists were clenched tightly as he tried to pull at the hooks that held him up. If he could break them, maybe he could save them both before it was too late. Sadly, the hooks were strong enough to hold three heavyweight men and still not budge.

Natsu opened his eyes slightly to catch a glimpse of the raven through his tears. Pitiful. Disgusting. Weak. Useless. All these words ran through his mind as that whip slashed at his skin. Soon, he gave up, and squealed once that whip slashed at his backside. The sensitive cheeks instantly reacted to the excruciating pain.

Gray could watch this any longer. "Stop it! You've done enough to him! Torture me instead! Leave him alone, ya bastard!" He shouted while struggling with the chains trying to get Amarion's attention.

Grimm stopped whipping the slayer and watched as a pool of blood formed below his pinkette victim. To him, it was the most delectable sight. Though, the ice mage pulled him away from such a beautiful sight. He could only smile.

"So eager to be next? I'm sorry. I was too enchanted by your friend, here!" The redhead grimaced while walking over to Gray. "You're right, though. I should stop now before he dies on me and boy do I have plans for you two in the future."

"Bastard…"

"You're turn!" Grimm then cracked the whip and started to slash at the ice mage's back.

Gray gritted his teeth as the pain started to set in. He couldn't find himself tearing up as easily, though he could only imagine what the dragon slayer was going through. His dark orbs stayed open as he kept his gaze upon his slayer friend. Natsu didn't look in too good of shape. His back was now stained red.

How were they going to make it out of this? Natsu's mental state looked shattered. If Erza were here, or even Lucy, they would easily help the dragon out of his funk. How was he supposed to comfort the pinkette?

The slayer looked limp and weak. His breathing slowed as the blood kept pouring out of his wounds. Gray then completely ignored the pain he was in and focused solely upon his friend.

"Natsu! Don't you dare die on me now!"

The slashing stopped. Gray didn't receive as many slashes as the dragon had. He quickly looked behind him and saw Amarion grinning widely.

"Hey, Asshole! If you don't want him to die now, then get him off that damn wall!"

"Oh, Fullbuster. The little slayer will be fine. He's just taking a nap." The redhead walked over to Natsu and gripped his hair to pull his head forward showing Gray what he meant. "See! That's a face of sleep and exhaustion. We wore him right out. I guess the rest could wait until tomorrow." He complied and let go of the flame mage. "Take them down and send them back to their cells! But first..."

Gray watched as Amarion Grimm approached him and swiftly hit the back of his neck. Soon, everything went black. There was no telling what might happen to them next.

"Natsu…" He whispered one last time before completely blacking out.

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_A/N: If you cried, that's okay because I did while writing this. Doesn't help that I was listening to sad Fairy Tail OST's... Anyways, like always, please R&amp;R! Share you're thoughts on how this chapter made you feel. I would love to read them~!_


	5. The Horror We're In

_Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update. My beta went on a mini vacation. I'm happy she was able to get some time off! She is awesome and I love her. Now to give the great news, I might be able to post chapter 6 this week as well. Hope you enjoy!_

_**Warnings:** Heartache and friendly bonding. Nothing major._

_This story is Beta'd by **Aiyoku Saotome**! Love you and thank you for all your hard work!_

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"_If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.__**"**_

– _**Ramsay **__Snow __**Bolton**_

**The Horror We're In**

The sound of splashing water sounded as Gray slowly woke up. He felt as if his world had turned upside down. He was lying upon the cold stone floor of the cell. Once he sat upright, his hand immediately came to rest on his forehead. A small headache pulsed at the edge of his scalp.

Searching for that water sound, he saw some lady gently washing the dragon slayer's back. This woman had to have been in her early thirties. Although dark orbs could only see her from behind, he noted her dirty blonde hair that hung a bit passed her shoulders. She only wore what seemed to be a long, dirty, old white dress, indicating she was a slave.

Instantly, the ice mage felt pity on this woman. Then that's when he realized - the cuffs and chains were gone. Now there was a strange metal choker around his neck. He wondered if this device was also anti-magic. Looking back over to the strange woman and Natsu, he noticed they both wore one as well.

Gray stood and walked over to them. He could tell Natsu was doing his best to ignore him. Scars covered his back; the bleeding had stopped, but scars will forever be there. He reached over as if to touch his friend's back, but he stopped himself. Instead, the raven sat next to the woman.

"How long have you been here?" He softly asked, but the woman continued washing Natsu's back while rinsing out the dirty cloth in the now bloody water.

"She can't speak…" Natsu muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Gray then was able to fully look at the woman's face; it was covered with a mask, which had only two slits for the eyes. He reverted his gaze and glanced down to her hands. "Let me take over from here."

The woman nodded and stood up. Gray watched her before taking her place behind Natsu. The slayer let this happen. He was already completely exposed to Gray both mentally and physically, not to mention they were forced to take baths together when they were younger. Seeing each other naked was nothing new.

The ice mage reached into the bloody water and pulled out the washcloth before starting on the slayers back. It was silent between them while they sat there in their own thoughts.

"Natsu… I…"

"No… stop… I don't need your pity, Gray…" Natsu interrupted the other mage as he turned half-way towards him. That's when Gray could finally see what the fire mage was holding in his hands. It was a piece of his white muffler. Though the stains upon his cheeks were still visible, at least the slayer wasn't crying anymore,

"How'd you…"

"She gave it to me… I believe someone sent her here. Though, the intentions of that person are very unclear." Natsu pondered loudly as he looked down to the floor. "I just… don't know anymore." The slayer started to quiver as memories of yesterday settled in his thoughts once more. He held onto the piece of scarf against his chest and turned back away from the ice mage.

"Hey, Natsu! C'mon, flame-brain, snap out of it!" Gray held onto the other's shoulders and shook him gently.

"Gray… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I-I couldn't," Natsu hiccupped as small tears fell from his eyes.

"Goddamnit…" What was the ice mage to do? He dropped the cloth from his hands and let it plop back into the bowl of bloody water. His heart quaked as he held up his arms in hesitation. '_Just do it already! It's nothing more than a friendly gesture!_'

That's when Gray did the unthinkable; he wrapped his arms around the slayer's upper half and pulled him in close so Natsu's back rested against Gray's chest. It was the most unmanly thing he could have done, but if Lucy or Erza were here, this would have been exactly what they would have done.

"Idiot…" he whispered softly.

Natsu sank into the ice mage's sudden embrace and closed his eyes. This strangely soothed him. He could feel the raven rest his head upon the slayer's shoulder. He never could have imagined them ever doing something like this before, but usually the girls were there. Right now, it was just them.

"Thank you, Gray…" Natsu whispered back while resting his head on the other's. Friends. Comrades. Rivals. All of that no longer mattered. He smiled softly to himself. "It's weird for us to be like this…"

"Yeah… but how else am I supposed to calm you down? Punching each other just doesn't seem right in this situation."

"This is fine…" Natsu took a deep breath while he looked down at what was left of his muffler. "As long as someone I know is here with me, I'm sure whatever happens to us, we'll be fine."

Gray kept his arms tight around the dragon slayer. His heart pounded against his chest as he thought about yesterday's events and the weakness his friend had shown. He really wanted to understand why Natsu couldn't use his power.

"Hey, Natsu?" Gray questioned softly as he gazed up at the flame mage.

"Yes…?"

"Why couldn't you fight back?"

There it was, that question Natsu wanted to avoid… but maybe he was better off telling the ice mage. It wasn't his fault that he felt so helpless. Or was he too much of a wimp to deal with the pain? If he wasn't, they would have been back at Fairy Tail by now laughing off the whole scenario as if it never happened.

"It was that Gnash guy. His sword has the power to take one's magic, making them completely normal. Then he gives it back to the person, making them feel as if their own power is eating them alive from the inside out. The worst part is… I can still feel that pain. Every time I try summoning my magic, that pain pulses through out my veins and continues to grow more excruciating.

Right now, I'm trying my best not to use my power or else I'll be on the floor once again. We don't want that. Like you said before, we need to focus on a strategy for an escape. I'll just have to use my physical strength for now." After Natsu was done explaining, he looked into those dark eyes.

He saw concern and worry. The two things he didn't want to see from the ice mage. It made Natsu think he was completely helpless. He wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. As he thought about yesterday's events, his heart pounded fast. The pain he had felt… he wondered what more they would be put through until they were finally able to make it out. That's when he looked back down at what was left of his muffler.

Gray could now understand what his friend was going through. For someone who completely relies upon his magical power, having to deal with this pain every time Natsu tries using it must have taken a toll on him.

"Natsu, I wish I would've -"

"You're turn." Natsu interrupted Gray as he got up and turned to face the ice mage. "Time to wash your back."

"Are you -"

"Turn around."

"Stop interrupting me!"

"Turn around, Gray!" Natsu then lifted his fist and was about to punch Gray in the face. Though, before he could, Gray caught his arm in one swift move. It was too easy. That's when Gray could tell the flame mage was actually losing his strength.

Tears were forming in Natsu's eyes as he sat there in shock. His stomach growled loudly. He was hungry and their captors hadn't even given them food since they arrived. The slayer's strength was depleting as he grew hungrier. Yes, he was obsessed with food, but now they've gone over twenty-four hours without it. Not to mention water. Was this part of Grimm's torture?

"Are you done interrupting me?" Gray asked calmly as he snapped the dragon slayer out of his trance. Those emerald hues met dark blue as he tried so hard to hold back the tears. "Listen, Natsu. This isn't you. Being afraid and crying? You're stronger than this. I should know. Snap out of it and collect yourself. Yes, we're in a bad place, but that doesn't mean this is our end. I'm not going to let anything more happen to us. These collars on our necks might hold my magic back, but I'm definitely going to get us out of here."

Gray was right. This was nothing like him. He should have fought back even with the pain that burst through his veins. He could have gotten them out already. His muffler was irreplaceable… but… he could get past it… right? Now he had to focus on his own escape.

"You're right…" He took his hand away from Gray as he stood up. "I'm not going to let them break me down like that again." Natsu muttered as he walked over to the cell-barred door.

Right across the hall stood Amarion Grimm. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest while a lit cigarette hung from his lips. He grinned widely as his dark red eyes glared back at Natsu's emerald hues. The slayer gritted his teeth as he snarled, slamming an arm against the cell bars.

"When I get out of 'ere, you'll be the first to die!"

Gray immediately stood once he noticed Natsu was talking to someone else besides him. He was surprised to see Grimm standing against that wall as if he had been there this whole time. Was he listening to them? Did he see the ice mage comforting Natsu awkwardly?

"What a beautiful threat coming from a soon-to-be slave. _I'm going to make you eat those words_." Amarion chuckled while finishing the cancer stick and flicking it to the side. He walked over to the cell until he was a few centimeters away from Natsu's face. He then blew the last of the smoke in the pinkette's face and then laughed as the slayer started to have a coughing fit. "It's very intriguing to see such an angered expression upon that smug of yours. It makes me wonder… what shall I do next to see those scattered tears run down your face once more."

Gray stepped in. It was his turn to slam his fists against the cell bars. "I'm not going to let you lay another finger on Natsu!" He snared with veins popping from his forehead.

"You know," Amarion turned his attention to the raven, "I was planning out how I was going to torture the both of you today, but then it came to me as I stood here and watched such a powerful moment happen before my eyes." Grimm took one finger to tilt Gray's chin upward. "What if I broke that beautiful bond of fire and ice by forcing them to hurt each other."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would, but hey… look at it this way, I'm not even going to lay one finger upon your dearest Natsu." Amarion chuckled slightly before letting go of Gray's chin to only then stab one of his digits into the other's chest. "You are."

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_A/N: Sometimes short chapters are needed. Hopefully you all enjoyed reading! Chapter 6 will be posted soon. This story is going to take an interesting turn and I can't wait to share it! R&amp;R! I love reading the reviews I'm getting for this story! Gets me amped and motivated! _


	6. The Evil We Face

_Hello everyone! Here's my second update for the week. I'm planning on taking a two week break because I have a Cosplay Meet-up that I'm coordinating and need to focus on that. Also, to rest my mind for a bit before jumping back in. Don't worry, I have friends that would kill me if I forgot about this story, so that will definitely not happen. Plus, I love this story too much to give up on it!_

_**Warnings:** Violence and Forced Rape. You have been warned. This chapter was tough to write, so please take this whole heartedly! If you can't read it, then please skip it._

_This story is Beta'd by **Aiyoku Saotome****!**_

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**The Evil We Face**

"_What if I broke that beautiful bond of fire and ice by forcing them to hurt each other."_

"_You wouldn't." _

"_Oh, I would, but hey… look at it this way, I'm not even going to lay one finger upon your dearest Natsu." Amarion chuckled slightly before letting go of Gray's chin to only then stab one of his digits into the other's chest. "You are."_

Gray couldn't believe what Amarion said to him. The ice mage could never hurt Natsu unless it was over a friendly brawl, but this? There was no way he would even do such a despicable thing. He smacked Grimm's hand away in anger.

Soon after, a group of men from the guild –or so it seemed- crowded behind the redhead. They all wore black masks which covered half of their faces, leaving their mouths exposed. Each of them carried devilish smirks upon their lips. Most of them were overly muscular, close to Elfman's stature. Others were older, yet as beefy as Gildarts. As some flicked their tongues lustfully, Gray wondered in fear, '_What do these men want with us?_'

Amarion chuckled as he watched the horror grow upon his victim's faces. Natsu turned to Gray while trying to keep his cool. These men looked him over as if he was piece of meat. This caused his spine to shiver.

"Let's play a game, Gray Fullbuster," the redhead taunted before opening the cell door. As he did so, the shady men standing behind him stormed in before Gray and Natsu could think about escaping.

Before the dragon slayer knew it, his hair was being pulled by one of the husky-looking men. He screamed as he struggled with the man, trying to pull and claw at the arm that gripped him tightly as he was being forcefully dragged backward.

"Natsu!" Gray tried to react, but two of the masked men grabbed his arms and held him back. "Let me go!"

"Gray!" Natsu panicked as he struggled more with the man. "That hurts, bastard!"

"C'mon, Pinky. Don't you want some water?" the man teased as he held up what looked to be a wine bottle. Water? Just the thought of the cold liquid made his throat sore. The man held the bottle to Natsu's lips before tipping it upward. "Bottoms up!"

The slayer didn't think twice as he let the liquid slip down. It was the first thing he drank in days. Gray could be heard in the background as he slowly realized what he had done.

"Natsu! Don't!" The ice mage pulled against the men's hold on him. "Goddamnit! What did you give him?" He snapped as he shot a glare at Amarion who chuckled evilly.

"It's all part of the game." The redhead waved his hand in a circular motion. He then walked over to Gray and pulled out a similar looking wine bottle. "Play along or else this won't end so well for the poor lil' slayer."

That's when Gray glanced back toward Natsu as a crowd of men surrounded him. The dragon's slayer's arms had been pulled behind him and tied up with a rope, which wrapped around all the way up. His visage seemed to be overly flustered as he panted heavily with half lidded eyes. He was propped up against the stone wall with his legs spread and now half-erect cock visible for everyone to see. There was a mix of fear and… arousal in those emerald hues. That's when Gray knew what they made him drink.

"You gave him a sex potion?" He muttered under his breath now glaring down the enemy in charge. "This is borderline cruel! He's a virgin!" How did he know this? Natsu was too naïve and innocent. Also, if he had done it before, the idiot would have bragged about it.

"And you forgot who you're dealing with," Amarion gloated as he motioned his fingers for one of his men to approach Gray. This man held a wine bottle similar to the one they made Natsu drink. Gray immediately struggled against his captors.

One of his captors pulled on his raven locks, causing his head to be pulled back. The other pinched the ice mage's nose. Gray gasped for air as his mouth gaped open. Amarion took the bottle from his guild mate and held it against Gray's mouth, but not tilting it even the slightest.

"Here are the rules, Fullbuster," Amarion started as he slowly tipped the bottle upwards, "You're going to drink this potion. Every last drop. If you spit any of it out, one of these hungry men will be able to do as they please with your _virgin _friend." He tipped the bottle more as the liquid poured into Gray's mouth. "Once you've had all of it, I want you to go over there and _fuck_ him senseless. If you don't comply, I will, and I'll make you watch."

This was _not_ what Gray expected. How could this man be so heartless? Making two best friends do such acts with one another… Though, he had no other choice. At this point, it was either hurt Natsu himself or let this bastard have him. Drinking every last bit of potion, he told himself over and over, '_This is for Natsu… this is for Natsu_.' He would succumb to this cruel act all for the sake of protecting Natsu's dignity and pride. Though, he didn't know how taking away his virginity would do this. Gray just had to believe it was the right thing to do.

"Good. Good. Best for a friend to take one's virginity than some random stranger, right? See, I'm not that cruel." Amarion chuckled as he pulled the bottle away from the ice mage's lips. "Make sure the little slayer is chained up." He spouted as the men scurried to restrained Natsu's ankles in shackles. "Let Fullbuster go," he demanded to the men who held onto Gray.

As soon as he was freed, Gray stood there with his head down. His bangs covered his eyes as a shadow hid his expression. If he made any moves to harm Amarion or attempt attack, he was sure the results would end the same; Natsu being hurt.

"Remember the rules." Grimm whispered in Gray's ear before the ice mage slowly walked toward Natsu.

Natsu gazed up at his friend. Everything was fuzzy and he couldn't quite understand what Amarion and Gray were talking about. His mind was clouded with fear, confusion, and strangely, arousal. Looking up at the ice mage, he felt warmth and happiness. It was as if everything that surrounded them was a horrible nightmare and he was just now waking up.

"Ice stripper… put your pants back on." The slayer softly chuckled as he noted Gray was naked. The pinkette watched as the raven knelt over him to the point where their faces almost touched. "Woah… a little too close for comfort."

Gray could tell Natsu's body took the potion differently than his. It was as if he was drunk. That goofy grin of his held the raven back as he thought about what he was going to do. His hand caressed the dragon slayer's flushed cheek and watched as the other closed his eyes and moaned softly at the cold touch.

"Oh god that feels good…" Natsu pressed his cheek against Gray's cold touch. "I feel as if my body is overheating…"

"Yeah… mine too…" Gray softly whispered as his hand guided down to Natsu's neck, now resting upon the scar that always seemed to be hidden away by the muffler. He figured if he was going to go through with this, he might as well be gentle. Moving both hands downwards, he slowly spread the slayer's legs apart so he could rest comfortably in-between them. "Natsu… please forgive me for what I'm about to do…"

"Gray…? Why do you sound so frightened…?" He then looked down. In horror, his faded mind suddenly shook awake. He saw both him and Gray were fully erect. The pain of his harden member caused him to groan. He felt as if he were in heat and no matter what his mind trailed off thinking about, he couldn't get it down. Without thinking, he arched his back causing his arousal to rub against the ice mage's. "Gah! What the hell is going on?"

"The cruel bastard used a sex potion on us…" Gray explained as he tried to ignore the friction he just felt from the other's heated member. "H-he wants me to…" He immediately looked down in shame as those emerald hues screamed fear.

"N-no, no, no… not like this! Please!" Natsu frantically pleaded as he looked over Gray's shoulder and glared into those dark red eyes belonging to Amarion. "You can't do this to us!"

Amarion stood there while lighting another cigarette. He ignored the dragon slayer's pleas. Once he was done lighting the cancer stick, he approached the scene and knelt next to Gray.

"Do me a favor and go in dry." He muttered with a displeasing tone.

"Back the_ fuck_ up, _asshole_!" Gray spat, turning to the redhead. Tears threaten to escape his eye docks as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to tare this man apart. "You've done enough."

"Oh, I could do a lot worse. Hurry up before I take over or any of the men over there. We're just dying to get some relief."

Natsu couldn't believe that Gray was being forced to do this. Why would Gray do this to him? He tried struggling against his bindings, but he was growing weaker by the second. His panting increased while his throat became drier. His emerald eyes fixed upon the raven's visage. He could tell Gray was pained.

_Gray doesn't want to do this. _Natsu told himself.

"Gray… let them do whatever they want to me… I-I can't see you like this." Tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.

"I can't… I can't sit by and watch them hurt you…"

"Think about it this way, he'll be taking your virginity instead of us. This is me being nice. Take it while you can because tomorrow and the following days after, I won't be," Amarion stated as he stood slowly, keeping his close presence. "Fullbuster, wipe your pitiful expression off your face and take him like a man!"

Grimm snapped his fingers as one of the men approached him. "Show the little slayer your _big_ cock."

"My pleasure, Grimm."

"No wait! You promised!" Gray snapped. He was close to lunging forward and hiding Natsu's face.

"Then comply and do what you were told or Pinky gets a mouthful of cock." Amarion became impatient and was about to take matters into his own hands.

Gray huffed and turned back to the horrified flame mage. There was no turning back now. They both knew that. '_Someone, anyone… please save us!'_

The ice mage reached down to place the tip of his arousal at Natsu's back entrance. His heart slowly sank to the pits of his stomach as he heard a small whimper come from the slayer. '_Please forgive me, Natsu…'_

That's when he felt a hand rest upon his back where his tailbone resided. Terror struck as soon as he felt that strong hand push against his back causing him to thrust right past the anal ring, penetrating deep inside Natsu. Gray's dark blue hues widen as he looked down at his friends expression. His heart stopped.

Natsu now felt the worst pain he has ever felt in the entirety of his life. He wanted to escape from it. Not even the fire deep within him caused him as much pain as this; the feeling of being ripped apart. Everything around him stopped. His head arched up along with his back.

"GaaaAAAaaaah…." Massive tears poured down his face while his entire body quivered beneath the ice mage. His cries echoed throughout the cell and rang in Gray's ears.

"Listen to those beautiful cries. Fullbuster, you must have a pleasingly sized cock." Amarion grinned as he knelt down beside the ice mage. "Look at those tears. How sad to see them placed upon such a strong mage like him."

Grimm took a handful of Gray's raven locks and forced him to be about an inch away from Natsu's face. The redhead's other hand slapped the ice mage's backside causing him to move. Looking down upon that face full of agony, Gray slowly broke inside with every thrust he was forced to take. He could feel the heat around him along with a strange liquid. Blood.

"I wonder how much he'll hate you once this is over." Amarion forcefully tilted the Gray's head up slightly so that now his chin and neck aligned. "Keep your eyes on him until you cum into his bleeding ass."

Natsu turned his head to the side, knowing Gray was being forced to watch him. It was embarrassing to cry in front of him. His emerald orbs opened and glared in those dark red ones while tears continued to flood his face.

"Tisk, tisk, can't have any of that, now." Grimm motioned his head for the man waiting with his exposed cock out, to come close. The muscular man stood on the other side of Natsu's head with his half erection only a few inches away. "You've got a few choices, Fullbuster. Force Natsu to suck off my friend here or…" He leaned into close to Gray's ear. "Kiss him."

Wait? Did he hear that right? He had to choose between forcing Natsu to give this stranger a blowjob and him kissing the slayer. This was too easy. There had to be a reason why Amarion was doing this.

"W-what's the catch…?" Gray huffed as the potion's effects caused him to become dehydrated.

"The catch to… kissing him? Oh, that's just to amuse me. Nothing's more entertaining than watching two best friends kiss." Amarion mused. This brought back so many memories for the redhead. Though that's all they were, now; memories.

Natsu heard everything, even through the agony and pain. As his body quaked and shivered, he forced his eyes to meet those dark blue orbs belonging to Gray. He knew what his friend would choose. His virginity and now his first kiss, both being stolen by this man he considered a friend, nakama. This was all wrong but deep down, he knew Gray had no other choice.

Straying his eyes away, Natsu glanced down to Gray's sweaty chest. There, printed upon that chest was the dark blue guild crest. He usually hated looking at the ice mage's bare chest. It usually meant Gray had stripped and was 'showing off'. Now, it was the one comfort he could rely on. He ignored Amarion and his followers who stood close by. In that moment, he tried pretending it was just the two of them. It was hard knowing they would never do something like this.

"Gray…" Natsu whispered as he felt those ice-cold fingers grip his chin softly and tilted his head upwards. "I-it hurts…"

"I-I know…" Gray softly said before closing the distancing letting his lips linger upon the flame mage's. "I'm s-so sorry, Natsu…"

"If you are… stop saving me…"

"I'm not going to sit by and watch them take you… idiot…" After that being said, Gray closed the gap between them, now tasting those warm chapped lips.

Natsu's heart leaped at the feel of those cold lips on his. It was weird and awkward. He pulled back as hesitation kicked in, but once his mind thought about that man standing almost over them, he shamefully pressed those lips forcefully against Gray's. Defeated. Weakened. Helpless. Hopeless.

Gray's hand rested upon the flame mage's cheek. His thumb gently whipped away the remaining tears upon that tan skin. He let his kiss deepen while parting his lips, letting Natsu follow. He could feel Natsu's hesitation in those movements. To him, kissing wasn't new, but this was the most forced and heartless kiss he could have given.

The two let their minds wander, trying to ignore where they were and why they were doing this. If they were never in this satiation, would this still happen between them? Gray was doing this out of saving a friend from what could have been so much worse. To Natsu, he felt as if his soul was being ripped from his inner core and shoved back down his throat. That's when he slowly figured out Amarion's plan.

'_No, this can't be! He's forcing me… to… to m-mate!' _Natsu frantically struggled and pulled away from Gray's kiss. His face became pale as he stared into those confused eyes. Though, that soon changed once the ice mage thrusted hard causing him to penetrate Natsu's prostate. The pinkette's head arched up as the pain he once felt strangely turned into pleasure.

"Oh god!" Natsu shamefully moaned as he felt his harden member ache from being neglected. The pleasure that shot through his entire physique scared him. With Amarion's pleased expression watching them, he knew deep down this was all part of the plan. His sadistic plan to mutually destroy their relationship and possibly leading to one of them dead.

Gray couldn't help the small tint of red on his visage. _Why does that moan_ _have to be so damn hot? _He bit his bottom lip while trying to hold back his own urge to be vocal. The flame mage's ass did feel great, but the blood and being forced wasn't helping him to be at ease.

"G-Gray… d-don't…" The slayer panted out heavily as he tried desperately to warn the other. He kept seeing stars the more Gray repeatedly hit that one spot. His whole body quivered, ready to explode. "…c-cum…"

"Please do, Fullbuster." Amarion was sitting on the floor next to the scene. He no longer had to force Gray to thrust. He had taken off on his own. It was most likely do to the potion kicking in. Though, he had to laugh. It seemed that Natsu figured out his plan. He leaned in so he was close to Natsu. Before he spoke, Grimm removed the burning cigarette from his lips. "Look into those dark eyes. Those are the eyes of your only _lover_."

"W-what…?" Gray questioned, over hearing the redhead. As his climax was closing in, he gripped hard onto the dragon slayer's waist before thrusted in one last time. "I-I'm cumming…"

"N-no, Gray! Don't!" Natsu panicked, but he couldn't help himself either. The constant pleasure stopped with one massive thrust causing his whole body to tingle.

"I-I can't help it…"

Gray came while letting the load fill Natsu making a mixture of blood and semen. Natsu exploded over both their chests causing a sticky mess. Exhaustion now consumed the ice mage as his vision became fuzzy. The potion took a lot out of him. He pulled out of the flame mage. As he did so, the frothy mixture slowly poured out.

"I'm s-sorry… N-Natsu…" Gray apologized before collapsing on top of the dragon slayer.

"G-Gray? Gray?" Natsu tried waking him, but he knew that thing was due to the potion. He was still worried, afraid that he might lose him.

Amarion smirked before pushing Natsu forward a bit so he could cut the rope that encased the dragon. He motioned for his men to leave the cell. He was very pleased with himself. To him, the torturing has just begun. This was only the start of it all.

"I bet you're curious right about now. How did I know? Why do you think I'm so fascinated with you, Natsu Dragneel? By you're reaction, it was all true. Now I can start my experiments. I don't know how you'd be able to live knowing that you're one mate is you're best friend."

"Do you even know what you've done?!" Natsu snapped while new tears flowed over his stained cheeks.

"Of course I do. Just like a dragon, a dragon slayer can only have one mate. Once mated, they imprint on their partner causing them to want nothing more than to be with them for the rest of their lives. As the ancient text told, the dragons would even die if their mate dies. It's a strong bond that could never be broken. Though sadly, the partner doesn't have to love the little dragon. If that happens, the little dragon slowly dies.

How sad for you. Fullbuster might not even love you. You'll just disappear until there is nothing left of you." Amarion chuckled. He stood and walked to the cell door. "We're going to have tons of fun." He gloated before closing the cell door behind him and lighting himself a new cigarette.

Natsu laid there in shock. Tears flooding his visage as his emerald hues stared up at the ceiling. With the ice mage laying on him and his body so weak, he couldn't move. All he could do was lie there as his mind forced its way to the dark corners he would never think of visiting. Hesitantly, the slayer wrapped his weakened arms around the ice mage's physique as he tried finding himself some comfort. Guilt and regret slowly consumed him.

"G-Gray… please forgive me…" He then closed his eyes waiting for sleep to come.

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_A/N: I'm sorry for the broken hearts... I did warn you. Anyways, the plot is now moving forward and this will play a huge role in this story. Please R&amp;R I love reading them and hearing what you guys think. I'd like to thank my friend Annie for helping me out a lot with this chapter! Love you and thanks again! _


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